Master Sommelier Video: What it Takes to be a Restaurant Wine Expert

In the video below, Scott Carney, Director of Wine Education at the International Culinary Center, shares his insights on the education and training required to become a Master Sommelier. As well:

How is the Master Sommelier different from the Master of Wine?

What makes your approach to teaching wine different from other schools?

Why is it important for chefs to know about wine if they’re not going to be sommeliers?

What are the three most important traits of an excellent sommelier?

What trends and changes are you seeing in the sommelier field?

We’ll post part two of our conversation in the next couple days, stay tuned …

About Scott:

Scott Carney was born in Boston and, after graduating from Connecticut College, satisfied his curiosity about wine by taking a sommelier position at the Bay Tower Room in Boston’s financial district. As his curiosity grew into a passion, Scott moved on to a full-time sommelier position at the venerable Harvest Restaurant in Harvard Square where he also began a career in restaurant management. Recognizing a need to further his business skills, Scott enrolled in the Stern School of Business at New York University and after a stage in France, graduated with an MBA in Finance.

Scott joined the Gotham Bar & Grill as business manager and spent 10 years overseeing affairs as the restaurant earned three consecutive three-star reviews from the New York Times. It was during his tenure at Gotham that Scott began his study for the title of Master Sommelier, which he earned in 1991.

Since leaving Gotham Bar & Grill, Scott has worked in operations, beverage, and finance with a number of Manhattan’s leading restaurant groups, including The Glazier Group, Jean-Georges Management, and Les Halles Group. In 1998, he built and operated The Tonic in Chelsea, later selling his shares to his partner. He also consulted for such notable New York venues as Picholine and Tocqueville, and he oversaw the reopening of the famed Russian Team Room in 2006.

LIQUOR STORE?

BIOGRAPHY

Natalie MacLean

Canada's Most Quoted Wine Writer

Natalie MacLean is editor of Canada's largest wine review web site, publishing hundreds of wine reviews every week for more than 160,000 members. She was named the World's Best Drinks Writer the World Food Media Awards in Australia.

Natalie has published two books with Random House, the second was named one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year. Get access to all of her reviews today by becoming a member of her site.